Electrical swivel connection



Jan. 10, 1933.

18 19 4 Z1 Z0 17 4i; IIEIIH 4 Y Y a njj: 1

ELECTRICAL SWIVEL CONNECTION M. M GREGOR Filed April 18, 1931 Iii Will" M/LD RED M 5 R5501? Inventor Allorney Patented Jan. 10, 1933 UNITED STATES;

PATEINTE- OFFICE MILDRED MCGREGOR, OF

FERNWOOD, IDAHO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'I'O HAROLD KAHELLEK, OF FERNWOOD, IDAHO ELECTRICAL SWIVEL CONNECTION Application filed April 18,

My present invention relates to an improved electricalswivel connection for use with the cords or wrapped wires of electrical appliances such as household lamps, electrically heated irons, electrically operated vacuum-cleaners, and other appliances that are connected to their source of electrical supply by the usual plug connection.

The swivel connection is of that type utilizing a rotatable head to which the electrical wires are connected, and the head which is enclosed within a non-rotatable sleeve or'casing, is provided with a swivel connection with a non-rotatable connector-head that is plugged into an outlet plug. By the arrangement of the rotatable head and the nonrotatable connector-head a constant electrical connection is maintained therebetween with a minimum of friction between moving parts.

As is well known, the cords or wires 0 household appliances, as above indicated, that are connected directly to a screw plug frequently become twisted and kinked due to the turnin of the screw plug into the connection soc et. By the utilization of the device of my invention, the usual screw plug may first be threaded into the outlet socket, and then the prongs of the connector-head forming part of my invention may be inserted into the screw plug, or, when the screw plug is absent, the connection may be made directly into a wall socket in manner usual for connections of this type.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter be more fully set forth and claimed. In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged according to the best mode I have thus far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a view showing the device of my invention and equipped with a well 1931. Serial No. 531,168.

known type of screw plug, which plug form-c no part of the invention, and is removable from the device.

1 Figure 2 is a sectional view of the housing or casing of the swivel device, disclosing the swivel connections to the screw plug of Figure 1.

Figure 3 isa sectional detail view of the device, with the screw plug omitted, and showing the device adapted for insertion into the usual wall socket for the electrical connectionto a source of power.

Figure 4 is a sectional detail view at line H'of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional detail view at 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a sectional detail view at line 6-6 of Figure 1.

In carrying out my invention I employ a line f cylindrical sleeve or housing 1 of suitable insulating material and provided with .a closed end that is formed with a central perforated boss 2, and equipped with a bearing 1 ring 3, which ring may also be of insulating material and is secured within the housing at its closed end.

At its open end the housing is fashioned with corrugations 4 in its inner surface, and on the exterior surface of the housing are provided roughened annular surfaces or rings 5 for use as friction surfaces grasped in thefingers. The corrugations 4 are designed to frictionally engage the complementary corrugated head 6 of the screw plug 7 when this plug is mounted on the swivel device, and, due to the frictional engagement between the housing and the plug at surfaces 4 and 6, the plug may be screwed into a complementary socket by turning the housing.

The screw plug is provided with the usual spaced slots 8, to receive the prongs or tongues 18 and 19 of the swivel device, and when the screw plug is employed with the swivel device the electrical connection is made as usual through the screwplug and into its socket.

In Figure 3 the screw plug is omitted and the swivel device is adapted to be attached to an outlet device by inserting the two tongues or conductors 18 and 19 directly into the slots of the wall socket in usual manner.

The wires indicated as 9 and 10 lead to the electrical appliance, and they are passed through the perforated boss 2 and the hearing ring 3 to the interior of the housing, where they are secured on two terminal arms 11 and 12. At one end, both of these arms are secured to a bearing ring 13 complementary to the ring 3, and bearing balls 14 are interposed between the rings to reduce friction between the rotatable swivel head and the non-rotatable housing.

Near the open end of the housing a circular cup-disk 15 is located, and the arm 12 is riveted or otherwise secured to the bottom of the disk-cup, the arms and disk-cup, of course, being electrical conductors, and the numeral 16 designates the connection between the arm 12 and the cup-disk. The bearing ring 13, the spaced cup-disk and the intermediate arms, form a rotatable head that may turn within the housing on the ballbearing ring 3 through the action of the bearing balls 14, when the -wires are twisted or turned.

A non-rotatable connector-head or circular disk 17 of non-conducting material is located in the cup-disk and provided with the projecting prongs or blades 18 and 19. The blade or prong 19 is of angular shape, and one of its flanges is secured on the connector head by a pin as 20 that extends centrally and transversely through the head. The arm 11 at its free end is swivelled on this pin 20 at axial center of the housing and in line with the axis of rotation of the rotatable swivel head within the housing. The swivel head is thus supported to turn on its axis between the ball bearing at the closed end of the housing and the swivel bearing of the arm 11 on the center pin 20.

On the inner face of the connector-head 17 is located a boss or lobe 21 that remains at all times in contact with the cup-disk 15, the boss or lobe being an integral part of the prong or blade 18.

Thus it will be apparent that the wire 9 which is connected to the arm 11 receives the current from the angular blade 19 through the center pin 20 that is in electrical contact with the arm and the blade. The wire 10 that is connected to the arm 12 receives current from the blade 18 through the point 21 of the blade and the cup-disk to which the arm is attached.

As indicated in Figure 5, the two terminal arms 11 and 12 are disposed on different radial lines with respect to the axial center of the swivel head in order that the terminal screws 22 may be readily accessible to a screw driver in attaching the wires 9 and 10 to the terminal arms, or in releasing the wires if required.

When the blades or prongs 18 and 19 are inserted in the sockets or slots of the screw plug, the plug provides a rigid support for the non-rotatable connector-head 17 and the swivel head is supported at one end by this connector-head. The housing, when slipped over the roughened head of the screw lug, forms a rigid joint with the plug, and the screw plug, through the blades, supports the non-rotatable connector-head, and retains the swivel head in the housing. When the screw plug is omitted and the blades are inserted in the slots of thewall-plug, the connector-head is supported from the wall plug.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device as described, the combination with a housing having a bearing ring therein, of a rotatable swivel-head and means for retaining it within the housing; a non-conducting bearing ring, bearing balls between the two rings, and a pair of terminal arms on said ring, an open center conducting cup-disk rigid with one of the arms and the other arm having an end terminating adjacent the open center of the cup-disk; a non-rotatable connector-head and a conducting pin rigid with said head and journaled in said arm-end, a pair of retaining-conductor-blades on the connector-head one of which is electrically connected with the pin, a contact point electrically connected with the other blade and frictionally engaging said disk-cup, and means for connecting electrical conductors to said terminal arms.

2. The combination with a non-rotatable connector-head having blades for insertion in a slotted screw plug, and a housing having a bearing ring in one end, of means for securing the housing on the screw plug, a central conductor pin in the connectorhead, a. rotatable head in the housing and bearing balls between said head and the bearing ring, a pair of terminal arms forming a rigid part of the rotatable head and wires connected to said arms one of said arms having a journal bearing on the conductor pin, a rotary member rigid with the other arm, a contact point on the connector head in frictional and electrical contact with said member, one of said blades having electrical connection with said contact point and the other blade having electrical connection with said conductor pin.

3. The combination with a housing having means for rigid connection with a slotted screw plug and a bearing ring in the housing, of a rotary head within the housing including a non-conducting bearing ring and bearing balls between said bearin rings, a terminal arm rigid with the second caring ring and an open-center cup-disk rigid with said arm, a

non-rotatable connector-head having blades for engaging in the slotted screw plug, a contact member mounted on said connector-head and frictionally engaging the cup-disk, a central conductor pin connected with one of the blades and mounted in the connector head, a second terminal arm rigid with the second bearing ring and journaled on the central conductor pin, and a pair of electrical connections to said arms.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

MILDRED MGGREGOR. 

